Manoj: I've improved a lot as a cricketer

Kandy: After scoring his maiden ODI century in Chennai last year, Manoj Tiwary had to endure the pain of warming the bench for 14 straight matches despite being fully fit and available for selection. But Tiwary feels that the period has helped him to improve his mental strength.

A testimony to his strength has been the brilliant performances that he gave in his comeback match, where he took four wickets. He continued the same form in the very next game, scoring a vital half-century.

"You are always learning something or the other by only being part of the Indian team. The senior players are always there to guide you… Their experiences help you... I've improved a lot as a cricketer," Tiwary said on the eve of India's lone T20 International to be played, here on Tuesday.

On his own admission, he has matured a lot during his stint with the national team for the past year as he has now learnt to deal with various match situations.

"I can analyse my game better. As the days go by, you learn how to deal with various situations," Tiwary said.

The Bengal batsman also loves to watch motivational sports videos, which helps him to pump up before an important encounter.

"I do get pumped up at times by watching the motivational videos… It sets my mind in the right position… They lift my spirits," Tiwary said.

Incidentally, when a night before he scored his maiden ODI century, Tiwary watched a video of British quarter miler Derek Redmond who hobbled but finished his 400m final at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.

Tiwary said that the team are in high spirits after thrashing Sri Lanka 4-1 in the ODI series. "We are very confident… We want to end the tour on a high."

While the Indian team are confident, Sri Lanka are hoping to turn the tables during the lone T20. Speaking to the media, captain Mahela Jayawardene said: "We hope to play well tomorrow… We have to do the right things in order to register a win. We cannot commit the mistakes which we made during the ODI series." ( PTI)

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